Sighting in a new rifle

[Phil Coffins]

My buddy finished his very first rifle, a Woodsrunner. He did a bit of carving and added a toe plate and a ram rod tip. A fine job and Sunday he got it sighted in at 25 yards. After a few shots we measured the group to be three inches low then did the math. To hit point of aim required .089” to be removed from the front sight. The file work took a few minutes and measurements confirmed the correct amount before loading and shooting for group. It hit exactly where he wanted it and no windage was needed. The rifle preformed perfectly on a pleasant day, a happy fellow with a rifle that should last a life time.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Doing the math sure works doesn't it? Out of curiosity, how much differential was there at the start between the front and rear sights (above the bore line center) before the filing was done? I've always started with the front sight slightly high (to the rear) just to make sure I have the need to file it-- on the theory that it's a lot easier to take height away from the front site than it is to add it.

The width of the white on either side of the front blade (in MOA) for the rear notch I usually put at about equal to the width of the front site, giving me a sight picture of (white-black-white) right around 1-1-1. I don't cut it to final depth until I know what the final height for the front blade will be, but I usually set it (base of the notch) to be just barely lower than the base of the front blade (again from the shooter's perspective when sighting). This gives me just a little bit of a white line under the front blade when putting it in the notch (when shooting).

 

[Phil Coffins]

Yes, the math is faster and cheaper then the often used guess and file method. I didn’t measure the sights before but the front sight on the Kibler is plenty tall on the Colonial and the Woodsrunner plus the swamped barrel makes the rear sight higher. Another indicator of a well thought out kit!